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U. A. GEIGER & B. BEALE.

WIND MOTOR. No. 324,020. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

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UNITED STATES ATENT Fries.

CHARLES A. GEIGER AND BENJAMIN BEALE, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, AS SIGNORS TO THE SPRINGFIELD MACHINE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WIND-MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,020, dated August 11, 1885.

Application filed June 28, 1 884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. GEIGER and BENJAMIN BEALE, of Springfield, county of Clark, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in VVind-Motors, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Our invention relates to means for relieving the machinery ofa wind engine or motor from the strainresulting from sudden gusts of wind and the sudden cessation of the same in windmotors, as they are now constructed; and it consists, first, in the combination, with the wind-wheel, of a divided shaft interposed between said wheel and the machinery actuated thereby, that part of the shaft from which motion isimparted to the crank or machinery operated by the motor being connected with and driven from that part of said shaft which is geared to or connected with the windwvheel by means ofa spring adapting one part of said shaft to yield relatively to the other.

It further consists in the combination,with the driving-shaft of the wind-mill, of a backing-ratchet, adapting the wind-wheel to stop or to move at a reduced speed when a sudden cessation of a breeze or gust occurs, without producing a sudden stoppage of or strain upon the machinery, as hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of so much ofa windmill as is necessary to illustrate our improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly in section, of the swiveling frame or yoke journaled on the main upright shaft and in which the windwheel shaft has its bearings, showing portions of said shafts and their connectinggears enlarged; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the collars through which the spring is connected with the divided shaft.

The windmill in its organization or general construction and arrangement of parts may be similar to any of those now in common use, and it need not,therefore,be described in detail further than is necessary to an understanding of my improvement.

A A represent the swh eling frame or point in its length, the upper portion, B, having secured to its upper end a bevel-gear, d, which engages with and is driven by a corresponding gear, d, on the wind-wheel shaft D. The upper end of the portion B of the divided shaft has its bearing in the yoke or frame A A, and its lower end has a round tenon or journal, 1), formed upon it, which is stepped in a corresponding socket at b in the upper end of the part B of the shaft; or

the journal may be formed on the part B,and the bearing socket or sleeve in the part B, as preferred, the arrangement being such that one part may rotate relatively to the other. The part B below its bearing in the yoke A has a collar, E, secured to it by a set-screw, e, or other suitable fastening, the set-screw being preferred as permitting its adjustment for regulating the tension of a spring hereinafter described, and the part B of said shaft has a similar collar,.E, secured to it in a similar manner. These collars E and E have sockets formed in them for the reception of the ends'of a spiral spring, F, wrapping the two portions of the divided shaft between the collars and crossing the dividing-point therein, as shown. The ends of the spring may be secured in the sockets in the collars E and E by means of a set-screw, e, or other suitable fastening device. I

The operation of this part of our invention will readily be understood. When the wheel D is started suddenly by a sharp blast or gust ofwind,it operates at once uponthe part Bof the divided shaft, said part being light and easily moved, and the latter, acting upon the spring E serves to wind up the latter, gradually increasing its tension until through such tension the portion B of the shaft is-set in motion, with the machinery operated thereby,

said portion of the shaft being propelled or driven through its connection with the part B" by means of the spring only.

The construction of the shaft, and the manner of attaching the spring thereto, may be varied from that shown and described; but under such construction and arrangement the spring is made to wrap the shaft, and is braced and supported thereby in a manner very effective for the work required of it.

The pinion or gear wheel (Z mounted loosely on the shaft 1), and is coupled thereto by means of a backing-ratchet, which will permitthe gear to continue to rotate, actuated by the gear (1, after the wind-wheel and its shaft 1) from any causesueh as a sudden cessation ,or diminution in the force of the windshall have stopped or tend to move more slowly, and so to resist the rotation of the shaftB B. 'lhisis accomplished, as shown in the drawings, by means of a ratchet-disk, (1 secured to or formed in one piece with the pinion (I, and a pawl, g, pivoted to a collar, G, fast on the shaft 1), said pawl engaging with the i'atchetdisk, the arrangement being such that whenever the shaft D is rotated by the action ofthe wind the collar G is carried with it, and the latter, acting through thepawl y and ratchetdlsk (1, causes the bevel-gear (Z to be rota ed with the shaft for setting the machinery in motion; but when from any cause the speed of wind-wheel is suddenly diminished or its movement checked, the movement of the driven machineryis not interfered with thereby, as the gear-wheel (Z, connected there with, can revolve freely 011 its shaft to permit the continued movement of the machinery due to such momentum.

By the employment of the divided shaft and spring and the backing-ratchet, as described, it will be seen that the strain or wrenching of the parts due to the sudden starting or stopping of the wind-wheel is obviated, while at the same time the power of the motor-wheel is more effectively utilized.

The shaft 13 may be geared to or otherwise connected to the machinery to be driven; or, in other words, the application of the power of the motor may be made in any usual or preferred manner.

Other forms of backing-ratchets may be employed, and the shaft may be divided at a point other than and in a manner different from that described; and we therefore do not wish to be restricted to the particular form and arrangement shown; but

Having now described our invention, we claim as new 11. In a wind-motor, a divided shaft interposed between the wind-wheel and the machinery actuated thereby, one portion of said shaft being j ournaled in the other portion and connected therewith by a spiral spring, substantially as described.

2. In a wind engine or motor, one of the gears connecting the driving with the driven shaft, in combination with a backing-ratchet, permitting the machinery actuated thereby to continue to move after the motion of the wind-wheel is checked, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a wind-motor, of the divided shaft, the spring connecting the two parts of said shaft, and the backingratchet connecting one of the gear-wheels with its shaft, said parts being interposed between the windwheel and the machinery or device actuated thereby, substantially-as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 25th day of June, A. D. 1884.

CHAS. A. GEIGER. BENJAB'IIN BEALE. XVitnesses:

\VM. H. GRIFFIN, J. E. Bowman. 

